A Blooming Business Offers Floral Tips for Your Home

A Blooming Business Offers Floral Tips for Your Home

Flowers serve many purposes. Some possess healing properties and are used as medicine, while others are edible and add color, flavor and whimsy to a dish. However, it’s their aesthetic function for which flowers are most loved.

From a single rose to a blooming bouquet, flowers also have the power to convey profound human emotions, which is why they pop up at birthday parties, weddings and funerals, in hospital rooms and on Valentine’s Day. For Frankie Peltier of Festive Couture Floral, they are a conversation piece. They set the tone of an event and reflect who an individual is and what he or she represents.

This applies to your use of flowers at home, as well—to brighten your surroundings during the dark winter months or personalize centerpieces for holiday meals. Peltier has some words of advice: “As with any new interest, the first thing to do is dive in!” Today, it’s possible to buy flowers year-round in flower shops, grocery stores, large retailers and farmers markets, making it quick and convenient to get started. “Buy the flowers you are drawn to. Experiment with different sizes. Keep it simple at first, and, over time, your confidence will build. Much like cooking or gardening, you get so much more out of flower arrangements than you put in.”

Peltier founded Festive Couture Floral in 2003. Before that, he apprenticed at a number of prominent design shops throughout the St. Louis area. “Working in a field in which art and nature go hand in hand is a gift,” Peltier says.

Peltier and his team have a knack for listening to their clients, conceptualizing even the most disjointed ideas and allowing individuals’ personalities and input to impact the design of the event. “You have to want to connect with a client and understand their goals. Personal tastes vary and trends change, so every client, every week, presents a new and exciting challenge. However, once everything is aligned, it’s fun to see where we go together.”

His company frequently collaborates with brides and grooms (and their wedding planners) to help them realize the wedding of their dreams. “It’s extremely gratifying to play a small role in someone’s special day.”

Over the past several years, Festive has worked with St. Louis institutions and philanthropic foundations such as The Muny, Saint Louis Art Museum, The Fox Theatre, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the American Cancer Society, Nurses for Newborns and Variety, the Children’s Charity. “The positive effect that these organizations have on our community goes well beyond the events we orchestrate,” says Peltier. That being said, “If the attendees of a gala or fundraiser feel special—due, in part, to our design—they are more inclined to return the following year and may even become personally involved in the organization or event.”

From internal organization, purchasing and flower care to brainstorming and design execution, there’s plenty of work to go around. “My biggest asset is the remarkably talented team that supports me,” Peltier says. “They work day and night to meet deadlines, and I have complete confidence in them.” This trust and a particular sense of family are palpable and come through in the end result.

Festive gives back to team members through opportunities for education. They attend wedding summits, floral design trainings and other industry events in order to expand their knowledge of their craft. Peltier says this is essential if they want to remain relevant in an ever-changing industry. “Today, we are influenced by different and diverse industries,” he explains. “Architecture, textiles, nature, food, art and more now contribute to floral design. Through social media and technology, we are constantly sharing our ideas and experiences, both locally and internationally, and receive inspiration and encouragement in return.”

When you are able to see the big picture and apply it to the small details, you can discover a greater sense of creative freedom, in the flower business or any other artistic field.